Raphaka flashes BDP colours at housing forum
Isaac Pinielo | Friday June 12, 2015 16:33
During the presentation, Raphaka flashed Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) colours. In a brief interview after his meeting with the PAC last week, the PS stated that there was nothing wrong with him having used the BDP campaign manifesto at the BHC conference. “First we should know what we mean when we talk about the government.
The government of the day is BDP, so there is nothing wrong with me having done that to say the government of the day promises this and that,” said Raphaka. He also said that what the BDP is doing forms the core of the government, noting that the two cannot be separated. He said the party is currently running the government which makes it part of the government. “We cannot avoid colours. They are everywhere, so the use of colours does not necessarily mean that one is engaging in political activity.
People should not be confused by these things,” he said. During the conference, Raphaka began his presentation showing his 16-slide Powerpoint presentation titled, “Maintaining Focus on Housing Delivery”, but when he reached the 12th slide of the presentation, it (the slide) was completely different from the other slides on many fronts. First, the slide had a glaringly bold red word at the top that read: “PROSPERITY”. Below the word were the following teasers also in red: “Quality of Life”, “Safety and Security”, and “Innovative, Vibrant and Competitive Nation of Opportunity”. A big portrait of the BDP housing campaign message from the party manifesto with the words: “IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS, THE BDP PROMISES TO…” followed by the list of things that the BDP promised the voters.
There was also a BDP symbol of the jack at the bottom right of the picture. BHC public relations manager Gomolemo Zimona said he did not see anything wrong with the PS having used a BDP campaign banner in his presentation. “In my opinion I think he was trying to show the audience what the government of the day, which is BDP, is promising the nation,” he said. Zimona noted that even opposition members have been involved in instances where they would wear their party colours in forums that are not of a political nature.
However, opposition parties were not amused with the development. Secretary general of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Kesitegile Gobotswang lashed out at the PS for using a copy of the BDP campaign manifesto for an event that was not political. “It was totally out of order if he indeed did that. Batswana are still in denial that we are being led by a military dictatorship where all the normal procedures of governance are flouted,” he said. Botswana National Front (BNF) publicity secretary Moeti Mohwasa also pointed out that the use of political issues or materials in an official government forum is taboo. “We are not aware of what the PS did since we were not at the conference, but any use of political materials in that setting is unacceptable,” he charged.
The Botswana Federation of Public Sector Trade Unions (BOFEPUSU) deputy secretary general Ketlhalefile Motshegwa said if it was true that the PS flashed the BDP manifesto at the housing forum, it is a violation of the Public Service Act (PSA). “If he was using the BDP manifesto, then he was publicly demonstrating for and endorsing the BDP. And if Maphorisa fails to take action against him, then she too will be complicit in violation of PSA, as there is a section of sleeping on the job,” said Motshegwa. He argued that failure to take appropriate action by Maphorisa would be tantamount to sleeping on the job, which is in violation of section 37 of the PSA. The former DPSM boss, Carter Morupisi has in the past taken Motshegwa to task for violating the PSA. Motshegwa and other union leaders were written letters by Morupisi for breaching the PSA as he accused them of uttering political statements. Efforts to reach Maphorisa were futile at time of going to press.